New Tool for Wiping Out Terrorism

And now some fresh pickings from the wartime grapevine.

A Connecticut entrepreneur has come up with what he considers an appropriate tool for wiping out terrorism – toilet paper.  Kenn Fischburg has begun marketing a product that features the face of none other than Usama bin Laden. The Day of New London newspaper reports Kenn Fischburg sent 200 rolls to the Pentagon. Employees at the war department have, um, flushed him with e-mails ever since. Fischburg says he was worried about how terrorists might react to the swipe, but then decided he was more concerned about raising the morale of Americans in – or temporarily out of – uniform. He says he'll use all proceeds from civilian sales to underwrite the cost of sending his product to troops overseas. 

Some survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing and relatives of the victims are now suing Iraq in federal court in Washington. The suit, filed March 14, claims convicted World Trade Center bomber Ramsi Yousef recruited Oklahoma City co-conspirator Terry Nichols for a series of  terrorist bombings. However, prosecutors have rejected the suggestion any foreign countries were involved in the bombing for which Timothy McVeigh was executed last year. The survivors' lawsuit was filed by Judicial Watch. It seeks about $1.5 billion in damages.

The St. Petersburg Times reports a Florida man who wanted his license plate to read "ATHEIST" has won a battle with the state's Department of Motor Vehicles. Last month, the department ordered Steven Miles to return his personalized plate – claiming it was "obscene or objectionable." After Miles contacted the American Civil Liberties Union, and the press got wind of the controversy, the DMV reversed its decision to cancel the tag. 

Finally, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner has decided to put an end to a six-year tradition in the Old Dominion – a Passover-Easter display produced by Virginian Rita Warren. The Washington Times reports that Warner's office has decided to rework its policy on public displays to reflect the need for heightened security. But Warren says her display is "beautiful" and poses no threat. A state lawmaker wants Virginia's House of Delegates to make a place for the Judeo-Christian display.